Last week, I became Someone Who Lives in Sin with Her Boyfriend in a Downtown Apartment, whereas before I was Someone Who Chose to Do a Service Year in Baltimore and Therefore Lives with Her Parents Long After. Luckily, my parents live 20 minutes away; circumstance leads me to move in spurts, a box here, a shelf there. My new place is lovely—third floor, historic, quirky—and frustrating, but it is mine (ours), and no one else’s, and there is power in something coming true that I thought, in my darkest moments, might never happen. Moving is on my mind, so here are five essays about relocating, repacking, and rearranging.

From Mars to Madison, Wisconsin, “following” your partner across town or across the country can foster resentment or strengthen your relationship. Ann Friedman, one of my favorite journalists, explains how shifting societal norms and evolving technology encourage folks to take the plunge or remain long-distance.

Here is one of the finest essays I’ve read this year, an author’s poetic examination of her packing habits and the relationship of journey to object: It is best to use a well-made bed or the floor, so long as you have a large, smooth, clear surface, a canvas, if you will. It is best to start early, to take your time, to mentally map out (a maze of nerves like tangled alleys, footpaths, avenues) the possibilities, the contingencies. You must have time to ask the questions: Will I get lost? Will I be loved? Shunned? Will I make it home again?

Like many non-New Yorkers, I’m a sucker for anything written about the city. The headline doesn’t lie–Judy McGuire had unbelievable luck of the rent in pre-bougie Brooklyn. Don’t worry–she’s now happily ensconced in a home in Queens.

The “creative class” includes artists, doctors, and engineers of all ages. The graphics in CityLab chart their movements from city to city (goodbye, NYC! Hello, DC!). Some of these patterns might surprise you–I, for one, expected more out of Portland.

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